OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), along with the West Coast Health Alliance, continue to strongly recommend vaccines to protect children, despite the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statement “Vaccines do not cause autism.”
According to the CDC, scientific studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines contribute to the development of autism.
But Washington state health officials note that rigorous research of millions of people in multiple countries over decades provides high-quality evidence that vaccines are not linked to autism.
The West Coast Health Alliance said they are “deeply concerned about inaccurate claims to the contrary recently posted on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.”
READ MORE | CDC updates page to state ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ isn’t an evidence-based claim
“We join health agencies and associations across the country, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Autism Science Foundation, in confirming that there is no credible scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism. Claims suggesting a link between vaccines and autism undermine public confidence, reduce immunization rates, and contribute to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. ” DOH said in a statement Friday.
US Health & Human Services Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in April that the agency would be launching an investigation into autism and potential causes of the disorder.
Kennedy has been a vaccine skeptic for years and has linked some vaccines to autism.
In September, during a press conference, President Donald Trump advised pregnant women not to take Tylenol because it could be linked to a spike in autism. Health professionals pushed back on Trump’s assertion that pregnant women should avoid taking Tylenol or risk having an autistic baby.
According to Washington state health officials, Autism is a complex condition with multiple contributing genetic and environmental factors. Attributing it to any single cause is inaccurate and misleading, DOH said.
Decades of research and large-scale studies consistently show no association between vaccination and an increased risk of autism, according to DOH.
“Vaccines are thoroughly tested and remain one of the most important tools we have for preventing infectious diseases. They represent one of the greatest public health achievements in history, having saved millions of lives and prevented illness and lifelong disability,” DOH said.